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Dorsal soft rays (total): 67-73; Anal soft rays: 47-51; Vertebrae: 37-38. Diagnosis: Dorsal rays 67-73; anal rays 47-51; the dorsal, anal, and pelvic rays are unbranched; lateral line scales 76-84, including 14-16 anterior to a vertical at upper end of gill opening; lateral line on ocular side of body projecting well above upper eye, but curving downward on head toward upper eye; vertebrae 37-38 (modally 37); dorsal pterygiophores anterior to fourth neural spine 11-13; body depth 2.35-2.5 in SL; large head, its length (HL) 2.9-3.4 in SL; snout length 3.2-3.65 in HL; small eye, diameter 8.7-11.7 in HL; interorbital space very narrow, least vertical width 9.9-23.8 in HL; maxilla extending to or a little beyond a vertical at rear edge of lower eye; upper end of gill opening on a horizontal passing slightly below lower eye; tubular anterior nostril very short, not approaching edge of lower orbit; slender cirri present on front of snout, along ventral side of head, and edge of operculum on blind side, but none along edge of membranous ridge of dorsal and anal rays; caudal peduncle present but extremely short, its length 21.8-64.0 in HL; caudal-peduncle depth 2.0-2.55 in HL; longest dorsal ray 2.05-2.2 in HL; caudal-fin length 3.8-4.2 in SL; pelvic-fin length 2.5-3.1 in HL, usually reaching to base of second anal ray; color of ocular side in alcohol brown with three rows of dark brown blotches about twice orbit diameter, one row dorsal (but well below dorsal fin), one ventral (but well above anal fin), and one along lateral line; fin rays light brown, the membranes dark brown (Ref. 57561). |
